Single-stage press installation



1967 E. SIEMPELKAMP ETAL 3,353,216

SINGLE-STAGE PRESS INSTALLATION 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22, 1965 w mm m mm MK Attorney Nov. 21, 1967 E. SIEMPELKAMP ETAL.

SINGLE-STAGE PRESS INSTALLATION Filed June 22, l965 I has 100 f i 4Sheets-Sheet 2 j fa f I EUGEN SIHPLKAHP KARL MULLER INVENTORS,

' Attom?! Nov. 21, 1967 Filed June 22, 1965 E. SIEMPELKAMP ETALSINGLE-STAGE PRESS INSTALLATION 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 war/v mm KA NP I MRI.MULLER I N VEN TORS.

Nov. 21, 1967 E. SIEMPELKAMP ETAL SINGLE-STAGE PRESS INSTALLATION FiledJune 22, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 7

EUGEN JIEHPA'LKAHP KAkL nuufik INVENTORS BY 3Q 93 Attorn Y United StatesPatent 3,353,216 SINGLE-STAGE PRESS INSTALLATION Eugen Siempelkamp,Krefeld, and Karl Muller, St. Tonis, Krefeld, Germany, assignors to G.Siempelkamp & Co., Krefeld, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed June22, 1965, Ser. No. 465,921 6 Claims. ((31. 1817) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLGSURE A single-level press for the hot-pressing of sheet ma terial,the combination which includes an elongated, vertically fixed, generallyhorizontal flat press bed, a vertically displaceable generally flatpress head extending parallel to and disposed above the bed, a pluralityof vertically extending support frames rigidly connected with the headand spaced about the periphery of the bed while vertically bridgingthem, the frames being displaceable with the head in vertical directionwith respect to the bed, and a plurality of fluid-responsivepiston-and-cylinder units spaced along the periphery of the bed andacting respectively upon the support frames for vertically displacingthe head with respect to the bed.

Our present invention relates to single-stage platentype pressesparticularly suitable for the compression of sheet materials, eg thecompaction of fibrous masses into sheet or plates with or without abinding medium.

In two commonly assigned copending applications, Ser. Nos. 192,038 (nowabandoned) and 192,040 now Patent No. 3,241,189, filed May 1, 1962 byEugen Siempelkamp, one of the present joint inventors, there aredescribed various heated-platen structures of particular advantage inthe production of fiberboard and the like. The term fiberboard is usedherein to describe the production of all types of pressed sheet materialand board for structura1, insulating and decorative purposes as well asfor a rapidly increasing number of other 'uses. In general, a mass ofcellulosic fibers, e.g. comminuted orsteam-expanded wood fibers and thelike, are compressed concurrently with heating to form coherent sheets.A binder, for example a phenol-formaldehyde resin, can be admixed withthe fibrous mass or comminution can be carried out in such manner thatthe residual natural thermoplastic resins and lignin of the fiber aresufiicient to bond them together at the elevated temperature of thepress. It is possible to make use of multi-platen presses for thesimultaneous compaction of a number of sheets in this manner, althoughit is often more convenient to employ single-level presses consistingprincipally of a bed member (lower platen) and a head member (upperplaten) relatively displaceable in the vertical direction. In thecommonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 458,- 228 entitledMethod of and Apparatus for the Production of Pressed Board, filed May24, 1965, there is described a system for the high rate andsubstantially continuous manufacture of such pressed board having asingle-level press which is provided with heated platens or pressmembers.

For the most part, single-level presses having unitary (i.e. one-piece)bed and head members have hitherto been provided with means forintensively heating the upper or head member of the press and withhydraulic means on the head member for exerting downward pressure uponthe latter to compact the sheet material. This construction isdisadvantageous in that it is both expensive and prone to disorderbecause of the elevated temperatures present in the region of thehydraulic mechanism. It is important in presses of this type, moreover,to provide means for equalizing the temperature of the head member3,353,216 Patented Nov. 21, 1967 since otherwise the latter would tendto warp or distort. This will be apparent from the fact that, when thepress is employed for the production of fiber board from wood chips andthe like, temperatures up to and in excess of 260 C., are attained.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention toprovide an improved single-level press for the production of coherentsheet material in which the disadvantageous effects of elevatedtemperature are held at a minimum.

Another object of our invention is to provide a press construction whichwill permit relatively long platen presses to be assembled with aminimum of different parts in accordance with building-block or moduletechniques.

Still another object of the present invention is to pro vide a pressinstallation of relatively simple construction, with a minimum of partsand Without the need for expensive mounting of the press members.

These objects and others which will become hereinafter apparent, havebeen attained in accordance with our present invention in a single-levelpress for the hot pressing of sheet material (generally fibrous layersto be formed into coherent sheets but also for the shaping ofsynthetic-resin, rubber bodies and the like) in which a generallyhorizontal flat bed member or lower platen is fixed with respect tovertical movement and is juxtaposed with a unitary verticallydisplaceable generally flat head member or upper platen which can beheated, preferably as described in the copending applications Nos.192,038 and 192,040 mentioned above; in the structure of the presentinvention, a plurality of fluid-responsive pistonand-cylinder devicesare disposed about the periphery of the lower or bed member of the pressbelow the upper or head member and are operatively connected with thelatter for vertically displacing same in the press-closing (i.e.downward) and the press-opening (i.e. upward) direction.

Advantageously a plurality of vertically extending support frames arespaced about the periphery of the press members which may have laterallyextending lugs received within the openings of these frame members. Eachof the piston-and-cylinder devices are assigned to and preferablycarried by a respective support frame. The support frames, which bridgethe head and bed members and serve to hold them in alignment via theirrespective lugs, can constitute force-transmitting means connecting thepower devices with the movable head member. Alternatively, the headmember is vertically displaceable relatively to,the vertically fixedsupport frames.

According to a preferred system of the present invention, the upper orhead member of the press is rigidly connected with the support framesand the latter are vertically displaceable relatively to the lower orbed member while the piston-and-cylinder devices apply the press-closingand press-opening forces to the head member via these frames.Alternatively, the frames can be rigidly connected with the lower platenor bed member or fixed to a common base for the latter while thecylinders of the power devices are received within the portallikeopenings of the frames and act upon the head member via pistons whoserods can extend through the laterally projecting lugs of the lowerplaten or bed member. In the latter arrangement, it may also bedesirable to mount the piston and cylinder devices, instead of on thesupport frames, upon the lower press member.

According to a more specific feature of the present invention, the lugsof the lower or bed member and/0r lugs of the support frames (if thelatter are vertically fixed) project laterally over the shoulders of thepress base or foundation; as set forth in the copending application Ser.No. 458,228, mentioned above, the press can be shiftable to permit arelatively continuous deposition of the material to be compressed at acharging or dispensing station. Thus, a conveyor band advantageouslyextends through the press and receives the fibrous layer substantiallycontinuously at a location relatively remote or at least spaced from thepress. As the press closes upon the belt, the press is entrainedtherewith in the direction of displacement of the material during thecompression step. At the conclusion of this step, the press opens torelease the belt and is returned by hydraulic, pneumatic or othermechanical means to its original position while the belt carries thepressed sheets away and shifts another fibrous layer into positionbetween the platens. In a structure of this type, according to thepresent invention, the laterally projecting lugs of the bed member or avertically fixed frame are provided with anti-friction means (e.g.rollers) designed to ride along suitable guide means (e.g. rails)alongside the press. The conveyor belt advantageously has an upper passoverlying the bed member and disposed between the press members forjoint movement with the press in the closed condition thereof and forindependent operation when the press is opened. The structure of theconveyor belt and other aspects of the fiber board plant are illustratedand described in the last-mentioned patent application. The

base can, therefore, be formed with a channel designed to receivedownwardly extending portions of the support frames and flanked by apair of shoulders, ridges or abutments carrying the press via the lugs.

According to still another feature of the present invention, a pluralityof press units of the character described are aligned in longitudinallycontiguous relationship with respective piston-and-cylinder devices attheir mutually adjacent ends. The usual support frames for these devicesare then replaced by a connecting support frame bridging the twopowering devices along each longitudinal side of the installation forinsuring joint movement of the contiguous press members. A furtherpowering device can bear simultaneously upon the adjacent ends of themovable press member to insure such synchronism. Press structures ofthis type are characterized by some very apparent and surprisingadvantages. Thus the press consists essentially of four differentstructural elements, namely the upper and lower press members, thesubstantially identical support frames, a plurality of which is disposedalong each longitudinal side of the press members, and substantiallyidentical powering devices used in conjunction with the frames. Theassembly of a press is thus reduced in complexity as is the cost of theinstallation. Moreover, the elevated temperatures at and above the upperplaten of the press can no longer disrupt ope-ration by damage to thepower means. Furthermore, the simplified press construction is amenableto module-type assembly of multiple-unit presses of considerable length.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the followingdescription, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a single-level press,according to the present invention, with the foundation omitted;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line IIII ofFIG. 1 showing the support shoulders for the press;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing how the press of FIG. 1 can bejoined to a similar module via the connecting frame;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating another embodiment ofthis invention;

FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating amodification of this invention; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the device of FIG. 6.

In FIGS. 1-4 of the drawing, we show a press structure, generallydesignated 10%), which can be combined as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 withsimilar structures 2% to yield presses of substantially unlimitedlength. Each press module comprises a vertically fixed lower platen orbed member 2 whose lugs 2a are received within respective support framemembers 1 which can have feet 8 projecting laterally and overlying theshoulders 11 of a base 11' whose channel 11" receives the verticallyfixed frame members 1. The latter can be mounted upon the foundation orbase 11' via a connecting rail 11a, 11b, on each side of the press orcan be shifted therealong as illustrated in FIG. 6, in which casesuitable straps or platforms can connect the pairs of frames spacedalong the opposite longitudinal edges of the bed member 2. A head memberor upper platen 3 overlies the bed memher 2 and is substantiallycoextensive therewith, while having lugs 3a extending into the openings6 of the portal-shaped frames 1. In this embodiment of the device thepower means assigned to each of the frames 1 is constituted by apist-on-and-cylinder arrangement 4 whose cylinder in is received withina rigid respective frame 1 while its piston rod 41') extends through thelug 2a of the bed member 2 above the cylinders. The piston rods 4/) aresecured to the lugs 3a via bolts 40 and serve to draw the upper pressmember 3 downwardly when the cylinder 4a is energized. As can be seen atthe left-hand side of FIG. 1, where one of the cylinders 4a is brokenaway, the piston 4d to which the rod 415 is secured, is displaceddownwardly to close the press and apply tension to this connecting rod.In the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2, the frames 1 are vertically fixed andthe lugs 2 rest upon these frames via the cylinders 4a. It is, however,also contemplated, in accordance with the present invention, that theframes be afiixed to the lower press member 2, which,

in turn, is supported on the press.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, therefore, we show an arrangement whereby the platens2 and 3 of press module are substantially contiguous with the lower andupper press members 2' and 3of a second module 200 which can beidentical in all respects with the press module 100. To facilitateconnection of the successive press modules, the frames 1 at theextremities of the platen members 2, 3 and 2', 3 are replaced by aconnecting-frame member 1a which bridges the ends of the two pressmodules and is provided with the power devices 4 and 4 which otherwiseare identical with those of FIG. 1. In order to equalize the movement ofthe upper press member, an auxiliary power device 24 with a shiftablesupport 7 is employed. The auxiliary piston can control the sets ofpower devices via a servomechanism 25 responsive to disalignment ofplatens 3, 3 for restoring their coplanarity; the servomechanism 25 can,if desired, also adjust the auxiliary power means 24. While the frame1a., when used with the press of FIGS. 1 and 2, will generally beprovided with feet 8 and carry the lugs 2a and 2a of the bed members 2,2' for the purposes of illustration, the frame In is shown to beconnected rigidly with the lugs 2a, 2a, while feet 8a and 8a of theselugs support the bed members upon the shoulders 11 (FIG. 2).

In the arrangement of FIG. 5, the feet 28 of the lugs 22a of the bedplate 22 rest upon the rails 11a and 11b of the foundation shoulders 11which can, therefore, be identical to those of FIGS. 1 and 2. In thiscase, however, the press-frame members 21 are vertically displaceablewith respect to the bed plate or lower platen 2 and are rigidlyconnected with the upper platen or head member 23 while the hydraulicpiston-and-cylinder devices 24 are mounted upon the bed plate 22 andbear, via their connecting rods 2412, upon the head plate 23. Againpressure is applied by tension upon the connecting rods via thehydraulic cylinders which are used within the copendings of the frames21. The latter are generally rectangular and are of portal configurationas illustrated in FIG. 1 although they are not provided with feet sincethey are vertically shiftable. The pistons and rods each lie within theopening of the respective frame and a plurality of such frames areprovided along the longitudinal edges of the press structure. Severalpress modules of this type can be contiguously connected via frames suchas that shown at 1a in FIG. 3.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, each press module of alongitudinally extended press installation and/or a single-assembly ishorizontally displaceable upon the rails 10 of the shoulders 11 of thepress base which define the channel 11". In this system, the frames 31,longitudinally spaced along the upper press member 33 and the lowerpress member 32 are rigid with the bed member 32 at its reinforcedlaterally projecting lugs 32a. The piston-andcylinder devices 34,disposed within the openings of the frames, are rigid with the latterand have piston rods 34b extending through the lugs of the bed plate 32and connected with the lugs 33a of the head plate 33 as described inconnection with FIG. 1. The frames 31 or the bed plate 32 carries ahorizontal platform 12 upon which the hydraulic means for the pOWerdevices 34 are disposed. Such hydraulic means can include a motor 13 fordriving the hydraulic pumps 14 and 15 which supply fluid to thecylinders 34a. Motor 13 can be coupled with the rollers 9 via achainand-spr0cket transmission for returning the press to its originalposition after it has been displaced during the compression mode of thepress. It will be understood that FIGS. 6 and 7 can also be consideredto represent an embodiment in which the frames 31 are verticallydisplaceable and are rigid with the upper member 33 while the rods 34bbear upon the latter member and do not extend to the lugs 33a. In thiscase actuation of the fluid-pressure means will draw the press head 33downwardly via the member 31 and the platform 12 can then be verticallyshiftable with the frame member 31.

In either case, however, the heating of the upper and lower members 32and 33 is carried out by circulation of hot fluid from a reservoir 16through passages represented at 16'. The fluid in the reservoir 16' ofthe heating device 16 is preferably electrically heated by resistanceheaters immersed in the liquid. It will be understood that the fluidchannels within the press platens of this embodiment as well as those ofFIGS. 1-5 may be disposed and connected as fully described in theaforementioned copending applications Ser. No. 192,038 and Ser. No.192,040.

Furthermore, a conveyor belt 15 passes through the press and has itsupper and forward pass or stretch disposed above the lower platen 32 forcarrying the comminuted material to be pressed between the platens. Thelower stretch passes beneath the lowered platen 32 but above theplatform 12. This pass may have a conveyor belt of steel as described inthe above-identified copending application Ser. No. 458,228 and may,therefore, be incorporated in a manufacturing installation of thecharacter set forth therein. Upon closure of the press the latter isentrained along the rails 10 for the duration of the compression stepand, upon opening, is returned in the opposite direction to receive anadditional layer of material to be compressed.

The invention described and illustrated is believed to admit of manymodifications Within the ability of persons skilled in the art, all suchmodifications being considered within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

We claim:

1. In a single-level press for the hot-pressing of sheet material thecombination which comprises:

an elongated, vertically fixed generally horizontal flat press bed,

a vertically displaceable generally flat press head extending parallelto and disposed above said bed,

a plurality of vertically extending support frames rigidly connectedwith said head and spaced about the periphery of said bed Whilevertically bridging said bed and said head, said support frames beingdisplaceable with said head in vertical direction with respect to saidbed, and

a plurality of fluid-responsive piston-and-cylinder devices spaced alongthe periphery of said bed and acting respectively upon said supportframes for vertically displacing said head with respect to said bed.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said bed and said head aregenerally rectangular in plan view, and a plurality of said supportframes with respective ones of said piston-and-cylinder devicespositioned therein are disposed along each longitudinal side of said bedand said head.

3. The combination defined in claim 1, further comprising heating meansfor heating said head said heating means including means forming aplurality of fluid passages in said head, and means disposed on saidhead member for circulating a heating fluid through said passages.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said bed is provided withrespective laterally extending lugs projecting into the openings of saidframes for aligning said bed with said head.

5. The combination defined in claim 4, further comprising an endlessband for conveying said sheet material through said press, said bandhaving an upper stretch extending along the upper surface of said bedand a lower stretch passing below said bed.

6. The combination defined in claim 5, further comprising antifrictionmeans disposed laterally outwardly of said frames and carried by thelugs of said bed member for supporting same with freedom of horizontalmovement upon a base for said press, said frames being entrained by saidbed upon horizontal displacement thereof together with said band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,222,604 4/1917 Daniel 18-172,755,505 7/1956 Bishop 18-4 2,912,717 11/1959 Yarrison et al 18-43,050,777 8/1962 Siempelkarnp 18-17 X 3,070,838 1/1963 Hostettler 18-43,071,805 1/1963 Merkle 18-16 X 3,154,814 11/1964 Fike 18-18 3,162,89812/1964 Pike 18-18 3,226,764 1/ 1966 Hostettler 18-4 3,241,189 3/1966Siempelkamp 18-17 J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

HOWARD I. FLINT, JR., Examiner.

1. IN A SINGLE-LEVEL PRESS FOR THE HOT-PRESSING OF SHEET MATERIAL THECOMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: AN ELONGATED, VERTICALLY FIXED GENERALLYHORIZONTAL FLAT PRESS BED, A VERTICALLY DISPLACEABLE GENERALLY FLATPRESS HEAD EXTENDING PARALLEL TO AND DISPOSED ABOVE SAID BED, APLURALITY OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING SUPPORT FRAMES RIGIDLY CONNECTED WITHSAID HEAD AND SPACED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BED WHILE VERTICALLYBRIDGING SAID BED AND SAID HEAD, SAID SUPPORT FRAMES BEING DISPLACEABLEWITH SAID HEAD IN VERTICAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BED, AND APLURALITY OF FLUID-RESPONSIVE PISTON-AND-CYLINDER DEVICES SPACED ALONGTHE PERIPHERY OF SAID BED AND ACTING RESPECTIVELY UPON SAID SUPPORTFRAMES FOR VERTICALLY DISPLACING SAID HEAD WITH RESPECT TO SAID BED.